


Blank Pages

by nerdlife4eva



Series: Hobby Hearts [2]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Boys In Love, Fluff, M/M, Self-Reflection, This is just fluff and love and that's pretty much it, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Victor's New Hobby, happiness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-06-23
Packaged: 2020-05-18 09:52:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19332148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdlife4eva/pseuds/nerdlife4eva
Summary: When Victor relocates to Hasetsu to be with Yuuri, he discovers there is so much more to life than skating.He even discovers a loved hobby of his own.A continuation of the story line fromThe Greatest Gift(a completed alternate meet au)





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**Author's Note:**

  * For [jfmesq](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jfmesq/gifts).



> This story is not only a (very late) birthday gift to the wonderfully talented and always sweet [jfmesq aka The Elf](https://jfmesq.tumblr.com) but is also inspired by her own masterful skill of creating gorgeous notebooks. Seriously, they absolutely blow my mind! I could see Victor loving a craft like this and I couldn't resist making this a part of this AU. 
> 
> Happy Birthday, [jfmesq](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jfmesq/pseuds/jfmesq)! I'm sorry this is so late!!! Thank you for being so sweet, kind, and loving with everyone you interact with!!!

On the rare occasions that Yuuri’s days off aligned with a quiet day for the onsen, Yuuri seized the opportunity to sleep in, ignoring the normally nagging schedule of his daily routine. If he was lucky, he could catch Victor slipping from the bed, snag him by whatever small amount of clothing he was wearing and pull him back to snuggle underneath the covers. These were Yuuri’s favorite days and they took a higher place on his heart’s podium than any other days in his life.

Except maybe the day that he had returned to Hasetsu, newly minted as a college graduate and unsure of his future. Minako had appeared to pick him up, surprising him since he had hoped it would be someone else.

Arriving home he had discovered Victor already bathing, his mother and father already having adopted his boyfriend and eagerly encouraging Yuuri to join his love for a soak. The excitement on their faces was contagious and Yuuri had found himself abandoning all of his unpacked luggage in favor of finding Victor immediately.

Thus began their summer together, the start of Victor’s season off from skating and Yuuri’s own time to decide what his future would hold.

Introducing Victor to the Ice Castle had been thrilling in a way Yuuri hadn’t expected. Instead of practicing jumps and drafting routines, they spun lazy circles over the ice, hand-in-hand while trying to make each other laugh. Sometimes they talked about the future, what Yuuri’s plan was for the next season, and how Victor was going to play a major role in it. Mostly, they used the time to be together to sneak kisses and let the weight of their careers fade with every leisurely lap.

Lying in bed, Yuuri stared blindly at his ceiling with a smile so wide it made his cheeks ache.

_How was this his life?_

Since their shared time in Sochi, Victor had been a near constant presence, but only through a screen. Graduating school had left Yuuri unable to travel to any of Victor’s remaining competitions and Yuuri’s own spectacular failure at Nationals had robbed him of a chance to compete any further into the season. They had reunited in Hasetsu two weeks ago, and Yuuri still felt like he was living in a fantasy.

A nudge on the side of his face made him smile and interrupted his morning musings. Shifting under the covers, Yuuri looped an arm around Makkachin’s middle and happily accepted loving kisses. He hadn’t just gained a boyfriend, but also a furbaby and Yuuri couldn’t help feeling luckier than anyone in the world.

“Where’s your papa?” Yuuri asked his furry cuddlemate, laughing when her doggy smile turned toward the door. “Should we go get him?”

Makkachin jumped from the bed to stretch while Yuuri sat up to do the same. Crossing the room, he patted his desk to locate his discarded glasses and shoved them on his face while simultaneously sliding his feet into his slippers. He had no idea how much time had passed since Victor had left the bed, leaving Yuuri eager to locate his love as he slid open the bedroom door.

Soft light poured from under the spare room that had originally been intended for Victor to use. After one night, they had abandoned the pretense of being willing to sleep alone, relocating to Yuuri’s old room to spend every night snuggled close. Luckily, this decision left Victor’s room available for his newest hobby.

Carefully, Yuuri eased the door open with one finger pressed against his lips as a reminder to Makkachin to stay quiet. Leaning on the door jamb, Yuuri loosely crossed his arms over his chest, stopping to admire the beauty of his boyfriend amidst deep concentration.

* * *

 

The thick cover under Victor’s hands glimmered with the refraction of his desk lamp light, red and gold specks dancing across the wall in front of him. Diligently, Victor dotted each line of glue rotating between his application of the adhesive and the placement of the decorations which it was intended to hold in place.

For the first time in a year, Victor felt completely relaxed. The dark and lonely world he had fallen into seemed like a forgotten nightmare, a memory he would never recall fondly. His decision to come to Hasetsu, leaving his life in St. Petersburg behind without a second thought, had brought him not only Yuuri’s love but also the love of Yuuri’s entire family.

Whatever Victor had expected from his relocation, being welcomed with open arms into a new family hadn’t been it. Every night he fell asleep wondering how he had gotten so lucky and every morning he thanked heaven that it wasn’t all a dream.

Hasetsu hadn’t just brought him the love of his life, a family to love him, and a place that truly felt like home. This magical place had also gifted him the beauty of time, a concept that Victor had previously believed had to be scheduled down to every second of every day. Here, Victor could be spontaneous, he could live without stringent schedules, and he could take all the moments he needed to rediscover what it meant to live.

Victor could also indulge in his new favorite hobby.

During one of their many video talks, Yuuri had set his laptop up on what looked like a small table and allowed Victor to watch him sew. The tiny replica costume had been one of Yuuri’s this time, a specific request by Victor that had left Yuuri’s cheeks burning while Victor begged him shamelessly to recreate it. Hours passed while Victor remained enraptured by Yuuri’s incredible skill, eyes wide and excited with every intricate detail Yuuri sewed into the small shapes of fabric.

Yuuri had explained every step, his soothing voice luring Victor into the deepest relaxation he had ever experienced. Somewhere between the hem of dark blue pants and the last stitch through the shimmery material of the top, Victor had wondered out loud if he could learn to sew too.

The call had ended with Yuuri’s promise to teach him and Victor’s thumbs eager to tap “sewing” in his internet’s search engine to discover anything he could. That search led Victor down a hobby rabbit hole, landing him finally on a set of YouTube videos which he couldn’t stop watching.

Unique notebooks had been a weakness of Victor’s since he was old enough to spend his pocket change on colorful spiral bound pads of paper that he found in his hometown’s grocery store. All of his routines were jotted down in the pages of notebooks of varying colors and designs, all of which he kept long after the pages had been covered to the point of having no space left.

Never had he considered creating his own.

It had been Yuuri who had pushed him to try, and Yuuri who had talked him through the disappointment of not being perfect in his first attempt. Victor wasn’t used to failing at anything, but Yuuri had made him see the beauty of failing and the exhilaration of overcoming that failure. Because of Yuuri’s encouragement, Victor continued to improve his skills and proudly sent Yuuri his first successful creation.

Since then, Victor had produced eight notebooks. Each found a new home with one of the junior skaters on the Russian team, presented with a handwritten note from Victor about chasing their dreams and remembering that dreams don’t mean ignoring the rest of their lives. Every one of the recipient’s had been thrilled with their gifts, even Yuri who had scoffed at his cat-themed notebook but hadn’t been seen without it since.

In a way, the notebooks had become Victor’s way of saying goodbye, even if the decision to do so had come after he had distributed them. His legacy was no longer only about skating, it was also about leaving a piece of himself behind when he ran off to chase happiness in the arms of the man who inspired him to be more.

Best decision of his life, really.

A small sound behind him had Victor pausing to glance over his shoulder. The sight of Yuuri, sleep rumpled and smiling, made Victor’s heart dance happily in his chest. Never had the presence of another person made Victor feel so instantly whole and he reached out a hand to silently beckon Yuuri closer.

Padding across the room, Yuuri easily slid into Victor’s offered embrace, letting himself lean lightly on Victor’s side and loving the feeling of Victor’s hand settling on his hip. Yuuri had never fancied casual touching, yet he craved any affection Victor willingly gave him. Smiling down at Victor’s own happy grin, Yuuri bent to peck a good morning kiss to Victor’s nose.

Yuuri’s eyes caught the color scheme of Victor’s newest project and he felt his heart melt into a pile of charmed mush. “Victor… is that for…?” Reaching down, Yuuri trailed a single finger over the edge of the notebook’s cover.

“Phichit,” Victor grinned, dropping his grip from Yuuri’s side to gently lift the book. “You said these were his colors and since he is making his senior debut, I thought maybe he would like it. And I kind of owe him… for… everything…” Suddenly bashful, Victor tilted his head to hide his blush behind his bangs.

If Yuuri didn’t stop finding new reasons to fall in love with Victor, he was going to spend the rest of his life tumbling helplessly over this man. The thoughtfulness of the handcrafted gift made Yuuri’s chest ache and he found himself squatting before he realized what he was doing.

Sliding a hand up to cup Victor’s cheek, Yuuri smiled when Victor finally looked at him again. “He is going to love it. Thank you for thinking of him.” Pushing forward, Yuuri kissed Victor with all the love that he never quite knew how to put into words.

Easy as it was to let himself get distracted by the allure of Yuuri’s kisses, Victor pulled away before his mind could travel too far away from the idea he had been playing with all morning. Gently placing kisses on both of Yuuri’s cheeks, Victor hauled him from his crouched place to pull Yuuri into his lap. “I have an idea… I want to know what you think.”

In all of his life, Victor had never found himself shy, yet when it came to this he could feel the butterflies tickling his belly. Yuuri was always honest with him and he knew that’s why he wanted Yuuri’s opinion. Before Yuuri, he would have never considered making himself vulnerable in any way. But the arm Yuuri slipped over his shoulders and the way Yuuri held him close while whispering “tell me” made Victor feel bold.

“I was thinking… what if I send one of these to each skater in the year they make their own debut? Sort of like… a good luck wish but also a reminder of sorts? That this is their life and their journey to navigate. Symbolic, you know? Blank pages on which they can write their story.” Nervously, Victor thumbed at the hem of Yuuri’s shirt, not quite confident enough to make eye contact as he shared his idea.

Gentle fingertips caught Victor under his jaw and tilted his chin upwards. He was greeted with the sight of Yuuri’s softest smile.

“You’re incredible.” Yuuri stated this fact as if it were the most obvious realization that anyone could make. He didn’t give Victor room to doubt its validity, leaning in to kiss Victor’s protests before they could be made. “Everyone will love it. I think… it’s perfect.” Wrapping both arms around Victor’s shoulders, Yuuri hugged his boyfriend close.

Returning Yuuri’s embrace, Victor felt his smile spread to its brightest point. All his life people had believed in his ability to skate. They had cheered him on in one arena of his life, but also kept him tucked inside the box of those achievements. With Yuuri, Victor felt like he could do anything, even new things that scared him.

With Yuuri, Victor could fill his own blank pages and not with skating routines or costume ideas. He was free to write a story of life and love, consumed with happiness, encouragement and fulfillment beyond what he had ever found in the rink.

Through Yuuri, Victor had the courage to spread this wisdom to other skaters and the willingness to connect beyond the people who shared team colors with him.

Together they were taking chances that they wouldn’t have taken alone, filling the pages of their own fairy tale with stumbles and triumphs alike.

One page at a time, one notebook at a time, they were creating a story that would last them lifetime.

Curling an arm around Yuuri’s waist, Victor nodded toward his own sketchpad. “May I show you what I’ve thought of so far?” Shyly, Victor pulled the book closer, fingers flicking the edges of the page. He had been searching through the other skaters’ Instagrams since before the sun rose and had sketched ideas for nearly all of them.

“Absolutely,” Yuuri agreed, settling further onto Victor’s lap. Resting his head back on Victor’s shoulder, Yuuri felt happiness crash over him in a peaceful wave, his mind going quiet and pleased as he listened to Victor excitedly explain all of his newest ideas.

Lost in their own cocoon of warmth and new adventures, Victor and Yuuri spent the rest of the morning discussing Victor’s ideas, both of them agreeing that there was nowhere else they would rather be.


End file.
